Child&#39;s folding carriage.



C. H. SMITH. CHILD'S FOLDING CARRIAGE. APPLICATION HLE-D FEB. 26, 1909.

Patented Feb. 18, 1913.

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42 0. B. SMITH. OHILDS FOLDING CARRIAGE. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26,1909.;

Patented Feb. 18, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

O. H. SMITH. CHILD'S POLDING' CARRIAGE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26, 1909. 1,053,325. Patented Feb. 18,1913.

I 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3. Q

IN" F UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. SMITH, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 ROCKFORD FOLDINGCAR- BIAGE COMPANY, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

CHILDS FOLDING CARRIAGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 18,1913.

Application filed. February 26, 1909. Serial No. 480,252.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. SMITH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Rockford, in the county of IVinnebago and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Childrens FoldingCarriages, of which the following is a specification.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide improved means forbracing the pivotally mounted wheel arms against accidental movement.

Another object of the invention is to improve the yielding support forthe seat frame.

A further object is to improve the operating connection between thehandle and the wheel-arms.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a carriageembodying the features of my invention. Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are fr0nt,'sideand top plan views, respectively, of the operating connection betweenthe handle and the wheels. Fig. 5 is a front view of said connection inthe position assumed by it when the carriage is fully folded. Fig. 6 isa detail perspective view of one member of said operating connection.Fig. 7 is a fragmental rear side view illustrating the connectionbetween the handle and the rear braces for the wheels. Fig. 8 is afragmental perspective view of the lock or brace for the front end ofthe wheelcarrying sleeve. Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the springsupport for the seat frame. Fig. 10 is a section on dotted line 10 10 ofFig. 9. Fig. 11 is a top plan view of the spring seat.

The embodiment which I have chosen for illustration comprises a bedformed in this instance by bending a rod to rovide two side bars 1 and afront bar 2 Fig. 8), the rear ends of the side bars being rigidlyconnected by a rod 3. The connection -be-' tween each side bar 1 and therear bar 3 may be formed by a perforated ear 4 (Fig. 4) on the side barfitting over the rear bar.

The wheels'5 are rotatably mounted within forks 6, the forks at eachside of the bed being rigidly fixedto a sleeve 7 which is rotatablymountedupon the adjacent side bar. The forward end of the sleeve abutsagainst a stop or locking pin 8 (Fig. 8) fixed in the side bar, saidsleeve being recessed at 9 to receive substantially. one-half of theperiphery of said pin. A cross bar 10 extends from one of the sleeves 7to the other, said cross bar having bearings 11 at its ends in whichsaid sleeves are rotatably mounted. Each of the bearings 11 lies betweenthe hub of the rear wheel fork and a collar 12 formed on or attached tothe sleeve.

The wheels 5 are swung into and out of operative position bymeans of thehandle 13 and mechanism connecting the handle with the sleeves 7. Thehandle consists, in this instance, of a bar bent into U-form, the endsof the U being pivotally mounted upon the rear bar 3. As herein shown,the lower ends of the handle arms are rigidly secured to a member 14(Fig. 3) comprising two perforated lugs 15 which are rotatably mountedupon the bar 3 at opposite sides of the ear 4. The ends of the rear bar3 may be .riveted, as shown, to secure the parts together.

The operating connection between each of the wheel-carrying sleeves 7and the handle 13 comprises the member illustrated in Fig. 6. Saidmember consists of a hub 16 rigidly secured to the sleeve 7 and providedat one side with two locking fingers 17 adapted to lie at opposite sidesof a locking projection 18 forming part of the member 14. Upon theperiphery of the hub 16 are two locking or guide lugs 19 and 20 havingflattened ends. Fixed with relation to the handle 13 are two guide arms21 and 22 curved upon the arcs of circles concentric with the pivotalaxis of the handle. The arm 21 is located outside of the vertical planeof the wheel-carrying sleeve 7 and extends into position to contact withthe square ends of the lugs 19 and 20. One side of the arm 21 has aplane surface, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 4, at about the middle ofwhich surface is located a spur 23 adapted to engage the lugs 19 and 20.At the base of said spur, and at each side thereof, is a recess tofacilitate the rotation of the lugs 19 and 20, as will appear'hereinafter. The arm 22 lies inside the vertical plane of thewheel-carrying sleeve 7 in position to move past the rear end of the hub16, and has a plane inner surface, as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4. Thefunction of the arms 21 and 22 is to hold between them the parts 16, 19and 20, and thus lock the wheels against swinging movement except whenthe spur engagement with the locking pins 8.

23 engages one or the other of the lugs 19 and 20. The parts 15, 18, 21and 22 may be an integral casting.

Before the wheel-carrying sleeves 7 can be rotated they must he slidrearwardly out of The means herein shown for effecting this movementcomprises lugs 24 and 25 attached to each sleeve 7. In this instancethey are located upon the lug 19 at opposite sides of the arm 21. Uponsaid arm are two projections or cams 2'6 and 27 adapted to engage thelilgs 24 and 25, respectively, for moving the sleeves 7 back and forth.Said cams are so. arranged that the sleeves 7 are slid rearwardly out ofengagement with the locking pins 8 before said sleeves are rotated, andsaid sleeves are moved into engagement with said pins and held in suchengagement upon the completion of the unfolding rotative movement of thesleeve.

The operation of the wheel-operating mechanism is as follows: Assumingthe carriage to be in the position indicated in Fig. l, the operatorgrasps the handle 13 and the front bar 2, lifts the carriage off thefloor, and folds the bed and the handle together. This movementwithdraws the locking projection 18 from between the fingers 17, butsuch withdrawal does not permit the wheels 5 to swing freely, for thelug 19 is in contact with the arm 21. As the folding movement continues,the cam 26 engages the lug 24; and slides the sleeve 7 out of engagementwith the locking pin 8; shortly thereafter the spur 23 presses againstthe lug 19 and tilts the sleeve 7 through an arc of substantially 910,bringing the lug 20 into contact with the arm 21. The wheels are nowlocked in the folded position by reason of the locking engagementbetween the lug 20 and the arm 21. V

The unfolding operation is merely a reversal of the operation outlinedabove. The wheel-carrying sleeve continues to be locked in its foldedposition until the spur 23 engages the lug 20, when said sleeve isrotated to "place the wheels in operative position. Shortly after thewheels reach a vertical position, the cam 27 thrusts the sleeve 7forward into engagement with the locking pin 8 and the lockingprojection 18 enters between the fingers 17.

The operation of the parts at each side of the carriage is the same asthat just de scribed, save that one of the wheel-carrying sleeves 7begins its folding movement before the other, in order to avoidinterference. This result is obtained by placing the spurs 23 atdifferent distances from their cooperating lugs 19.

In order to brace the rearwheels rigidly against accidental movement outof the op- 6 erative position, I provide jointed braces 5 28, eachpivotally attached at its lower end to the lower end of the adjacentwheel fork and being similarly attached at its upper end to the crossbar 10. One of the sections of each jointed brace 28 overlaps the other,the overlapping end carrying a stop portion 29 that overlies the othersection and limits downward pivotal. movement between the bracesections. Being connected to the lower ends of the wheel forks, thebraces 28 serve efiiciently to withstand stresses tending to bend thewheel forks in or out. The lug 29 engages the adjacent brace sectionwhen the brace is flexed downwardly a trifle, in order to lock it inoperative position.

The seat is supported upon a seat frame 30 which, in this instance,consists of two tubes 31 pivotally connected at their forward ends tolugs 32 fixed upon the front bar 2. The rear ends of the tubes 31 arejoined by a bar 33. The seat frame 30 is supported at its rear end bytwo members 34, one at each side of said seat frame. The upper ends ofsaid members are pivotally connected with the seat frame, and the lowerends thereof are similarly connected with the ends of two links 35 and36. The link 35 is pivoted to the bed in any suitable way, as, forexample, by pivotally attaching said link to a ring 37 which isrotatably mounted between two collars or shoulders 38 (Fig. 4) on thewheel-carrying sleeve. One end of the link 36 is pivotally connectedwith the adjacent side arm of the handle 13. One end of the link 36 isextended past the point of pivotal connection of the members 34:, 35 and36, and is provided with a lug 39 ada ted to overlie the link 35 forlimiting pivotal movement between the links 35 and 36 in a downwarddirection, and thus support the seat frame 30. The parts are so arrangedthat the lug 39 engages the link 35 when the links 35 and 36 are inalinement or flexed downwardly a trifle. Said links thereby constitute alock to prevent folding movement between the bed and the handle untilthe rear end of the seat frame has been lifted by the operator a slightdistance to flex the links 35 and 36 upwardly. It will be understoodthat such upward flexing movement of the links 35 and 36 need be only.enough to carry the pivotal joint between said links off dead center.

In order that the braces 28 may be un' locked (that is to say, flexedupwardly slightly) before the wheel-carrying sleeves 7 are rotated, eachbrace is connected with the adjacent link 35 by means of a flexible linkor strap 10, as shown in Figs. 1 and 7.

Preferably the seat frame 30 is yieldingly supported. This result may beobtained in various ways, as, for example, by forming each member 34 oftwo overlapping bars 3 1" and 3 1 Each of said bars has an elongatedopening 41 therein and a headed stud 42 extending through the elongatedopening of the other bar. A coiled spring 43 tends to hold the bars 34and 34 in the position shown in Fig. 9. As herein illustrated, thespring 43 is attached to said bars by bending the ends of the spring atan angle and inserting the bent ends into openings 44 in the bars. Thelatter are bent at 45 to provide space between said bars for saidspring.

Any common or suitable form of seat and foot rest may be employed, butthe construction preferably is as illustrated in Fig. 1. The seat 46 andthe foot rest 47 are supported by the flexible sides 48 of cloth orother suitable material, said sides being looped over the side bars 31and the free ends detachably secured to the sides in any suitable way,as by means of stud and socket fasteners 49. A plurality of suchfasteners may be provided at difierent heights to afford an adjustmentof the height of the seat. The front end of the foot rest 47 isconnected with the front bar 2 of the carriage bed. The back 50 is ofcloth or other suitable material looped over the bar 33 and secured inplace by stud and socket fasteners 49. A number of such fasteners may beemployed in order to permit of adjusting the length of said back.Preferably the seat 46 and the foot rest 47 are of resilientconstruction. As herein shown, each comprises a support similar to theone shown in Fig. 11. Said support consists of a frame 51 which may berectangular, as shown, and of rod or wire, across which frame are placedmetal bands 52,said bands preferably being secured in place by lappingtheir ends around the frame and closing the loops with a rivet 53. Thebands 52 may be secured together, at one or more of the points wherethey cross each other, by rivets 53.

The support just described is preferably placed between the twothicknesses of cloth, leather or other material from which the body ofthe carriage is formed, and is secured in place between said thicknessesin any suitable way, as by taking one or more stitches through thecloth.

When the cart is to be folded, the operator lifts the bar 33sufliciently to carry the links 35 and 36 out of alinement, and then,grasping the handle 13 and the front bar 2 of the bed, he brings saidhandle and front bar together, at the same time lifting the carriageclear of the floor. The seat frame 30 folds against the carriage bed asthe links 34, 35 and 36 fold together. Before the spurs 23 act upon thelugs 19, the jointed braces 28 have been unlocked by reason of theirconnection with the links 35.

It is apparent that the construction and arrangement of the parts ofthis carriage may be changed in various ways, therefore no unduelimitation should be understood from the detailed description hereincontained.

I claim as my invention 1. In a folding carriage, incomblnation,

a bed frame comprising side bars; a wheel carrying sleeve mounted forrocking movement and longitudinal movement on each of said side bars; alocking pin fixed to each of said side bars near its forward end, eachsleeve having a recess in its forward end to receive said pin a handlecomprising two side portions pivoted to the rear portionsof said sidebars; and devices fixed to said handle side-portions near their pivotalcenters and engaging said sleeves for reciprocating and turning saidsleeves.

2. In a foldin carriage, in combination, a bed frame; w eel-carryingsleeves rotatably connected to said frame; locking members on said.frame adapted to be engaged by said sleeves; a U-shape handle pivoted tothe rear end of the bed frame at opposite sides of the carriage to folddownwardly against the bed frame; and connections between the handle andthe sleeves for longitudinally moving the latter away from the lockingmembers when the handle is folded.

3. In a folding carriage, in combination, wheels mounted to fold; meansat the forward end of the carriage for locking said wheels againstfolding; a device fixed with relation to said wheels; a pivoted member;and two curved arms fixed to said pivoted member and lying at oppositesides of said device, one of said arms being adapted to operate saiddevice to fold and unfold the wheels and unlock said forward lockingmeans to permit folding.

4. Ina folding carriage, in combination, a bed; a seat frame; front andrear wheels foldingly supported by said bed; a handle pivoted to saidbed; two links at each side of the bed, said links being pivotallyconnected to each other and connecting the handle to the bed; a memberat each side of the seat frame, said member connecting the seat framewith the joint between said links; a crossbar extending from one side ofthe bed to the other near the rear end thereof; a j o-inted brace foreach rear wheel, the upper ends of said braces being attached to saidcross-bar, and said braces being upwardly flexible; and a memberconnecting each brace with one of said links for flexing said braceupwardly.

5. In a folding carriage, in combination, a wheel-carrying sleeve; alocking member for said sleeve; a pivoted arm; an arm attached to saidother arm and curved on the arc of a circle concentric with the pivot ofsaid pivoted arm; and means on said curved arm for engaging said sleeveto move the latter with relation to said locking member.

6. In a folding carriage, in combination, a seat frame, and means forsupporting the rear end of said frame, said means comprising two barseach having an elongated opening and a headed stud adapted to extendthrough the elongated opening of the other bar, and a spring arranged atone side of said bars and having its ends engaged with i said bars, saidspring tending to move the and connected to said pair of wheels, saidmember having thereon devices for sliding said pair of wheels into andout of operative relation to said locking means, and for turning saidpair of wheels.

8. In a folding carriage, in combination, a bed; a pair of wheelssupported by said bed for simultaneous turning and sliding movement;locking means for said wheels; a handle pivoted to the rear end of thebed; an arm fixed to the handle and curved concentric with the pivot ofthe handle; and a member attached to the pair of wheels, said arm havingthereon a spur for engaging said member to turn the wheels, and two camsfor engaging said member to slide said wheels into and out of operativerelation tosaid locking means.

9. In a folding carriage, in combination, a bed; a seat frame; wheelsfoldingly supported by said bed; a handle pivoted to said bed; two linkspivotally connected to each other and connecting the handle with thebed; a member connecting the seat frame with the joint between saidlinks; a withdrawable brace for one of said wheels; and a connectionbetween said brace and one of said links.

10. A wheel-operating member for folding carriages, consisting of apivot lug and two curved arms, one of said arms having two opposed camsthereon for operating a wheel locking member.

11. A wheel-operating member for folding carriages consisting of a pivotlug and two curved arms, one of said arms having a spur and two camsthereon.

12. A wheel-operating member for folding carriages consisting of acasting comprising a pivot lug, a part to receive the handle, a lockingprojection, and two curved arms, one of said arms having a spur and twocams thereon.

13. A wheel-operating device for folding carriages comprising two curvedarms spaced apart and fixed with relation to each other, one of saidarms having wheel-folding means and also having wheel-lock-operatingmeans.

14. In a wheel-operating mechanism for folding carriages, thecombination of a pivotally mounted member comprising two curved armsspaced apart and curved on the arcs of concentric circles of dilferentradii, a pivotally mounted member having two locking lugs adapted toslide in contact with the curved arm of larger radius and a portionadapted to contact the other curved arm, a spur on the arm of largerradius adapted to engage said lugs, two projections on one of said lugsarranged to lie at opposite sides of the arm of larger radius, two camson said arm of larger radius adapted to engage said projections forsliding the second mentioned pivotally mounted member, the latter havingtwo locking fingers,

and a projection on the first mentioned pivotally mounted member adaptedto lie between said fingers.

15. In a folding carriage, in combination, a seat frame, and means forsupporting said seat frame, comprising two bars each having an elongatedopening and a headed stud adapted to extend through an elongated openingof the other bar, and a spring, each end of which engages one of saidbars, said bars being bent to provide space between them for the ends ofsaid springs.

CHARLES H. SMITH. Vitnesses WARD I. NICHOLAS, WV. L. JORDAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

